Etching-machine



H. R. CONGDON.

- ETCHING MACHINE- APPLICATION FILED AUG-19,1919.

1,359,872. Patented Nov. 23, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

H. R. CONGDON.

ETCHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-19, 1919.

1 ,359,872, Patented Nov. 23, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT-OFFICE.

HARRY R. CONGDON, SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

ETCHING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 23, 1920.

Application filed August 19, 1919. Serial No. 318,817.

My invention relates to improvements in etching machines wherein a projector operates in conjunction with a vertically movable and adjustable etching fluid receptacle and a housing for containing one or more plates to be etched.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide an improved etching machine.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved device of the character describedhaving a fluid receptacle adjustable relatively to the projector whereby the amount of etching fluid projected may be adjusted and regulated.

A still further object of the invention'is to provide an etching fluid receptacle spaced apart from the housing containing the plates to be etched whereby the etching process may be facilitated by the provision of air currents through said housing.

It is also another object to provide an improved device of the character described having an improved projector adapted to project a stream of air with a spray of etching fluid to atomize said projected spray and thereby further facilitate the etching process.

Other objects will hereinafter more fully appear.

I accomplish these several objects by means of the improved device disclosed in the drawings forming a part of the present invention wherein like characters of reference are used to designate similar parts throughout the said specification and drawings, and in which: a

Figure 1 is a vertical transverse sectional view of my improved device; taken on line 11 of Fig. 2 in the direction indicated;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1 in the direction indicated;

Fig. 3 is a plan View of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of a portion of the device disclosing the air intake ports of the projector.

Referring to the drawings the numeral 1 is used to designate a suitable frame upon the upper portion of which is mounted a I suitable acid proof housing 2 having two opposite sides 3 thereof converging toward an open bottom of said-housing 2.

The bottom edges of said inclined sides 3 are provld'ed with suitable apertured supports 4 for supporting plates 6 to be etched, the apertures being provided to drain the etching fluid from said plates 6.

The housing 2 is provided Wtih a suitable Benji 7 to carry off thefumes of the etching A suitable cover or frame 8 is pivotally mounted as at 9 within the top of the housing 2 and is rovided with suitable grooves 11 within which is slidably mounted -a third plate 12 to be etched.

An etching fluid receptacle 14 is slidably mounted below the open bottom of the housing 2 and has the sides thereof spaced apart from'and extending above the bottom of the housing 2 whereby access may be provided for air into the housing 2' and a projector hereinafter more fully described.

The receptacle 14 is provided with shoes 16 which are slidably mounted within suitable vertically disposed grooves 17 within the frame'or support 1.

A lever 18 is pivotally mounted to the frame 1 as at 19 and is operatively connected to the approximate center of the bottom of the receptacle 14 by means of a link 21. The forward or free end of the lever 18 is provided with a pawl 22 for engage ment with a toothed segment 23 depending from the frame 1.

A projector, indicated in general by the numeral 26, is rotatably mounted within the open bottom of the housing 1 and consists principally of a horizontally disposed shaft 27 rotatably mounted within suitable journals 28 on the frame 1 and provided with spaced apart disks 29 having suitable air intake ports 31 therein. Horizontally disposed longitudinal blades 32 are arranged between the disks 29 and beyond the air intake ports 31 therein, and spaced apart from each other at any suitable. angle as disclosed in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

Each blade 32 is provided with a longitudinal flange 30 on the back thereof to prevent all of the fluid from flowing off of said blades 32 when rotated.

A suitable pulley 35 is mounted upon one end of the shaft 27 by means of which rotation may be imparted to said shaft 27 and projector 26. y

In operation the plates 6 and 12 are placed within the housing 2 and an etching fluid 34 is placed, to the proper amount, within the receptacle 14. j

As the projector 26 is rotated the pro ecting edges of the blades 32 enter the fluid and project said fluid from the edges of sa 1d blades 32 against the plates 6 and 12 as disolosed by the broken lines in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

Simultaneously air is projected through the intake ports 31 of the disks 27 and projected with the etching fluid spray to further atomize the etching fluid before delivery of the same onto the plates 6 and 12 to be etched, said air being projected by the centrifugal action of the rotating projector 26.

The etching fluid after being projected onto the plates is drained back into the receptacle 14.

A novel feature of my invention consists in the spaced apart relation of the receptacle 14 relatively to the housing 1 and also to the projector 26. The space between the receptacle 14 and the housing 2 readily permits an ingress of air which is taken up by the projector and finally projected through the vent 7 thereby providing a. steady current of air to carry off the fumes ofthe etching fluid and thereby facilitating the etching process.

Another novel feature of the invention consists of the vertically movable arrangement of the receptacle 14 by means of which the amount of etching fluid engaged and projected by the projector 26 may be regulated and adjusted to insure the projection of a uniform amount of etching fluid onto the plates 6 and 12 to be etched.

By moving the lever 18 upward or downward to engage any one of the teeth of the segment 23 it is evident that the surface of the fluid 34 within the receptacle 14 will be altered relatively to the degree of submergence of the rotating blades 32 of the projector 26.

It ,is obvious from the foregoing that I have provided an improved etching machine adapted to etch one or more plates simultaneously and also improved means for regulating the amount of etching fluid to be projected.

It is also obvious from the foregoing that I have provided improved means for introducing a blast or current of air into the projector whereby the projected fluid may be atomized.

The details of construction are so susceptible to variations that I do not wish to confine myself to the precise construction disclosed herein but rather to avail myself of 1. An etching machine comprising a receptacle to contain an etching fluid; means for inclosing one or more plates to be etched above the receptacle; a rotary projector for projecting and atomizing etching fluid from the receptacle onto the plates; and means for adjusting the receptacle relatively to the projector whereby the amount of fluid engaged and projected by said projector may be regulated.

2. An etching machine comprising a housing arranged to contain one or more plates to be etched and having an open bottom; a receptacle for containing an etching fluid slidably mounted for vertical movement below theopen bottom of the housing; and a projector rotatably mounted in the lower portion of the housing and arranged to atomize and project fluid from the receptacle onto the plates within the housing.

3. An etching machine comprising a housing arranged to contain one or more plates to be etched and having an open bottom; a receptacle for containing an etching fluid slidably mounted for vertical movement below the open bottom of the housing; a projector rotatably mounted in the lower portion of the housing and arranged to atomize and project fluid from the receptacle onto the plates within the housing; and means for moving the receptacle vertically and for retaining said receptacle in any one of several positions to adjust said receptacle relatively to the projector whereby the amount of fluid projected may be regulated.

4. An etching machine comprising a housing arranged to contain one or more plates to be etched; a receptacle for containing an etching fluid; and a rotatably mounted projector having tangentially arranged blades and air intake ports to project fluid from the receptacle and atomize the same against the plates.

5. An etching machine comprising areceptacle to contain an etching fluid; means for inclosing one or more plates to be etched; and a projector rotatably mounted above the receptacle and having tangentially arranged longitudinal blades and air ports at the end of said projector whereby air may be directed into the interior of the projector to atomize and project fluid against the plates by the rotation of said projector.

6. An etching machine comprising a housing having an open bottom two opposite sides inclined to retain plates to be etched; atop pivotally mounted on the housing and having means for retaining a third plate to be etched in a horizontal position above the open bottom of the housing; a receptacle for containing an etching fluid arranged below the open bottom; and means for atomizing and projecting etching fluid from the receptacle onto the plates.

7. An etching machine comprising a housing having an openbottom and arranged to retain a plurality of plates to be etched; a receptacle for containing an etching fluid arranged below the open bottom of the housing, the sides of said receptacle being spaced apart from and extending above the bottom of said housing to provide access for air into said housing; and means for projecting an etching fluid from said receptacle onto plates within the housing. a

8. An etching mechine comprising a housing having an open bottom and means for supporting a plurality of plates to be etched, one of said plates being retained in a hor1- zontal position; a receptacle for containing an etching fluid arranged below the open bottom and having the sides of said receptacle spaced apart from and extending above the bottom of the housing to provide a free access of air into said housing; and

means for atomizing and projecting an etching fluid from the receptacle onto plates within the housing.

9. An etching machine comprising a housing having an open bottom and means for supporting a plurality of plates to be etched, one of said plates being retained in a horizontal position; a receptacle for containing an etching fluid arranged below the open bottom and having the sides of said receptacle spaced apart from and extending above the bottom of the housing to provide a free access of air into said housing; means for atomizing and projecting an etching fluid from the receptacle onto plates within the housing; and means for adjusting the receptacle relatively to the housing and projecting means.

10. An etching machine comprising a housing having an open bottom and two of its sides converging toward said open bottom, said converging sides being adapted to support plates to be etched in an inclined position; a top pivotally mounted in the top of the housing and adapted to retain a third plate to be etched in a horizontal position within the top of said housing; a receptacle for containing an etching fluid arranged below the open bottom and having the sides of said receptacle spaced apart from and extending above said bottom to provide a free access of air into said housing; and projecting means for atomizing and projecting fluid from the tray onto plates within the housing.

11. The combination with an etching machine of an etching fluid receptacle spaced apart from said machine to provide a free access of air into said machine and movable relatively to said machine whereby the amount of etching fluid projected may be regulated.

12. The combination with an etching machine of a projector having longitudinally disposed projecting blades and air intake ports within the ends of the projector and arranged to deliver air into the interior of said blades whereby a blast of air may be simultaneously projected with the fluid to atoinize the same.

' 13. The combination with an etching machine of a rotative projector having longitudinal blades therein each provided with a flange on the rear edge thereof and air intake ports arranged in the ends of said projector to admit air into the interior of said blades whereby a blast of air is delivered from said blades to atomize a spray of etching fluid projected by rotation of said blades.

14. An etching machine comprising an acid proof housing; supports within the housing for one or more plates to be etched; a rotating projector rotatably mounted within the lower portion of said housing; an etching fluid receptacle arranged below the'housing and spaced apart therefrom to provide a free access of air into said housing' and to the projector; and a suitable frame supporting said receptacle and housmg. v

15. An etching machine comprising an acid proof housing having a vent therein for the passage of 'acid fumes and an open bottom, two opposed sides of said housing being converged toward the bottom thereof to provide inclined supports for plates to be etched; a revolving projector arranged in the lower portion of said housing; an etching fluid receptacle arranged below the housing and spaced apart therefrom to provide free access of air into said housing and to the projector; and a suitable frame supporting the tray and housing.

16. n etching machine comprising an acid proof housing having means for exposing one or more plates to be etched to an etching spray; a revolving projector rotatably mounted in the lower portion of said housing and consisting of a horizontally disposed shaft having disks on the end thereof, said disks being provided with air intake ports, and longitudinally disposed blades arranged between the disks; said blades being adapted to enter an etching fluid and atomize and project the same against plates within the housing; and an etching fluid receptacle arranged below the housing and spaced apart therefrom to provide access of air into the housing and projector; and a suitable frame to support the tray and the housin 17. n etching machine comprising an acid proof housing having means for exposing one or more plates to be etched to an etching spray; a revolving projector rota tably mounted in the lower portion of said housing and consisting of a horizontally disposed shaft having disks on the end thereof, said disks being provided with air intake ports and longitudinally disposed blades arranged between the disks, said blades being adapted to enter an etching fluid and atomize and project the same against plates 10 within the housing; an etching fluid receptacle arranged below the housing and spaced apart therefrom to provide access of air into the housing and projector; a suitable frame to support the tray and the housing; and means for adjusting the receptacle relatively to the projector to regulate the amount of fluid projected by said projector.

In witness whereof I hereunto set my signature.

HARRY R. CONGDON. 

